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Flipkart CEO Compares Net Neutrality Backlash To Apartheid

Flipkart CEO Compares Net Neutrality Backlash To Apartheid
BCCL

Flipkart’s co-founder and CEO Sachin Bansal just shared his stance on net neutrality in an interview with NextBigWhat, where he argues that Zero rating has been around for over five years, and that he wants Flipkart to be judged by the same yardstick as global services, which make use of the service.

“The situation that exists in India today is akin to apartheid in the Internet world. Most people wrongly believe that Flipkart is asking for preferential treatment. In reality we are only asking for equality with our global peers and are NOT asking for any preferential treatment," Bansal is quoted as saying.

Reddit-run campaigns supporting net neutrality started to give one-star ratings to Airtel and Flipkart’s apps on their app stores as a form of protest over the weekend.

Bansal defended his position on Twitter last week, saying that fears of a telecom big brother emerging are unfounded, and that the consumer is king. He sent out a tweet today linking to his interview, asking for a more nuanced debate.

We need more informed debates and less mob mentality. My views: https://t.co/l4ZFrRiHN1

— Sachin Bansal (@_sachinbansal) April 13, 2015

Meanwhile, the volunteer-run SaveTheInternet campaign has sent over 1 lakh responses to TRAI on the consultation paper. The deadline for the consultation paper is April 24.

More than 1 Lakh mails sent to TRAI. Thank you everyone. #savetheinternet#netneutralityindiapic.twitter.com/rwBCkfcSoY

— Net Neutrality India (@neutrality_in) April 12, 2015

Read:

  • Net Neutrality Campaign Goes Viral As Netizens Answer Clarion Call To Save The Internet

  • All India Bakchod Weighs In On The Net Neutrality Debate

  • 8 Indian Tech Startups Speak On Airtel Zero And Net Neutrality
  • Blow To Net Neutrality As Airtel Launches Marketing Platform

  • Act Now: India's Telecos And Regulators Are Trying To Kill Open Internet

  • Indian Regulator Invites Consultation To Regulate WhatsApp, Viber, Other OTT Services

  • Blog: Mandating US-Style Network Neutrality Makes Little Sense For India

  • Blog: Is Net Neutrality More Important Than Internet Access? Why Babajob Is On Internet.org

  • Odisha MP Tathagata Satpathy Writes Letter To TRAI Chairman Supporting Net Neutrality

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.